"During Monday night's debate, Amy Lowell, the town's assistant wastewater manager, estimated the town would find itself responsible for paying about $11 million in back grants, renewable energy credits and other costs if they agreed to a long-term shutdown of Wind 1. Harper previously estimated a complete shutdown of Wind 1 would cost Falmouth about $970,000 in lost revenue annually."

The Sponsor of Article 9 on the Falmouth Town Meeting Warrant met with Town officials who decided to shut down WIND I until Town Meeting in April 2012. Abutters have long complained that the 1.65-megawatt Vestas Wind 1 turbine causes negative health affects including migraines and vertigo.

In the past, Falmouth Board of Selectmen have attempted to ignore the pain and suffering expressed to them by local residents. I collaborate with victims of Big Wind from communities that include Falmouth, MA, Hull, MA, Cohocton, NY, Spain, Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, Maryland and Chicago and Toronto. Many were supporters of wind energy prior to direct exposure of their families to wind turbines, not unlike the folks in Falmouth.

Wind turbine nuisance costs/unanticipated $$$, addressed here, will not include adverse financial impact associated with home abandonment, real estate value loss, due to adverse health issues caused by wind turbines, blade flicker or viewshed loss. Wind turbine noise victims' suffering is bona fide in Falmouth as well as in Australia and New Zealand and elsewhere as documented and recorded by Wind Wise Cape Cod members for over three months. The intellectually dishonest, financially interested, or misinformed deny the serious health problems caused by wind turbines.

This article continues:

“There is overwhelming evidence that wind turbines cause serious health problems in nearby residents, usually stress-disorder-type diseases, at a nontrivial rate. The bulk of the evidence takes the form of thousands of adverse event reports…”,states the Peer-reviewed, Bulletin of Science Technology & Society published study contributed by Carl V. Phillips, Properly Interpreting Epidemiologic Evidence About the Health Effects of Industrial Wind Turbines on Nearby Residents. [cut]

Returning to the economic side of adverse impacts by wind turbines to residents of Falmouth, for whom I have great empathy and respect. The Town of Falmouth indeed has finally put HEALTH BEFORE WEALTH. Falmouth WIND I is Shut Down! Congratulations and sweet dreams to all victims of WIND 1!

Week of November 7, 2011 Source Cape Cod Times, (a Falmouth Official answers the question, "How bad is the economic impact of a failed wind project--due to noise?")

"During Monday night's debate, Amy Lowell, the town's assistant wastewater manager, estimated the town would find itself responsible for paying about $11 million in back grants, renewable energy credits and other costs if they agreed to a long-term shutdown of Wind 1. Harper previously estimated a complete shutdown of Wind 1 would cost Falmouth about $970,000 in lost revenue annually."

Consider the economic harm is not isolated to Falmouth, MA. Wind turbines don't mix well with the animal kingdom. There are cumulative adverse impacts caused by wind turbines from avian mortalities to their masking and cluttering of radar screens, to their unrelenting low frequency noise that wind developers frequently address with non-disclosure settlement agreements, also called gag orders.

The economic toll of unforeseen project costs negates economic benefits of wind as Falmouth now recognizes. This is a town blindsided by promises of quiet, financially and technically sound technology that in reality is highly complex, experimental, industrial machinery, with most components made in China, with approximately 8,000 parts per wind turbine. Wind turbines do make noise and in some cases this effect is life altering and unbearable for abutters. "Wind farm" is a highly misleading term.

This Falmouth financial wind folly scenario is perpetuated by Governor Deval Patrick's Wind Turbine Siting Reform Act. Anticipating wind turbine complaints, this legislation terminates response by the local police and towns to wind turbine complaints. All complaints would be made to the Energy Facilities Siting Board appointed by Governor Deval Patrick, or be appealed to the court by victims. Local protections of zoning that prevent industrial projects from being constructed to close to residential areas would be rendered meaningless under this Draconian MA Wind Bill that undermines public safety mechanisms of Zoning, not to mention public interest.

FINANCIAL COSTS DUE TO NOISE PROBLEMS WITH FALMOUTH WIND TURBINES ARE ESCALATING. WIND I is a shut down until Falmouth Town Meeting in April 2012

A town decision in February to shut down Wind 1 when wind speeds reach about 23 mph already costs Falmouth an estimated $350,000 in revenue per year, acting Town Manager Heather Harper said.

A complete shut down of Wind 1 could cost the town about $970,000 in lost revenue annually, Harper said.

That figure includes $644,000 to pay off Wind 1 debt, to pay the cost of maintaining both turbines and to pay for electricity that Wind 1 provides to the wastewater management facility, said Gary Anderson, chairman of the town's finance committee.

"Clearly this (article) has some financial ramifications," Anderson said, adding the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center may also require the town to repay $1 million in renewable energy credits that it provided Falmouth.

Falmouth wastewater Superintendent Gerald Potamis, who oversees the turbines, shared Anderson's concern about the possibility of having to return funds that were provided under the assumption the turbines would be a long-standing energy source.

He specifically pointed to $5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds granted to build the turbines, of which he estimated about $4.5 million was already spent.

Potamis predicted that the grant money could be treated like a loan that the town must pay back if the turbine stops producing electricity.

"They don't just give you $5 million and let you walk away," he said.

The financial ramifications of the article concern David Moriarty, who helped draft the article, less than the pain Wind 1 causes abutters.

FALMOUTH — Wind 1 will halt operation immediately after town officials struck a deal with one of the municipal wind turbine's opponents.

"Wind 1 will remain out of service ... until the April 2012 annual town meeting," said Selectman Mary Pat Flynn, chairwoman of the board.

In its first month of operation, there will be no curtailments on Wind 2, Flynn said. During the second month, it will adhere to the same restrictions selectmen put on Wind 1 in February, which include shutting down the turbine when wind speeds reach 23 mph. Town officials will log all complaints associated with the turbine during this time.

During Monday night's debate, Amy Lowell, the town's assistant wastewater manager, estimated the town would find itself responsible for paying about $11 million in back grants, renewable energy credits and other costs if they agreed to a long-term shutdown of Wind 1. Harper previously estimated a complete shutdown of Wind 1 would cost Falmouth about $970,000 in lost revenue annually.

Town meeting members on Tuesday approved Article 30, an expenditure of $98,000, that would go toward paying for electricity that Wind 1 would have provided, Flynn said.

Happy with the compromise, Funfar said the decision was good news for Wind 1 abutters but predicted neighbors of Wind 2 would soon feel the strain he said Wind 1 abutters have.

"We have one group of people that's very happy," Funfar said after the vote, "and another that should get ready to get their socks knocked off."